How An App Is Helping Senegalese Farmers Fight Malnutrition and Hunger.

The goal of reaching zero hunger by 2030 for African nations hasn’t been an easy one, no thanks to political strife and climate change within African nations.

However, Senegal appears to be making steady progress in eradicating hunger from its land. This has earned the West African Country recognition as a leader in the fight against malnutrition in Africa. According to a recent report by the Malabo Montpellier Panel – an international group of Agricultural experts that advises the African Union Commission and act as analysts over policy decisions, Senegal reduced undernutrition by 56% between 2000 and 2016, a feat worth commending.

Today, with the help of some mobile apps, the Agricultural sector in Senegal is making giant strides in helping the nation and her people fight malnutrition and hunger.

For example, in the southern region of Tambacounda, 500 kilometres south west of Dakar, the cereal farmers are using mobile apps developed by the government and international partners like the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to plan the sowing and harvesting of crops.

The mobile apps are developed in such a way that they are able to help with weather forecast, monitor the prices of cereals and provide information on nutrition or animal health.

Commenting on the use of the Weather and Crop Calendar App, one of the mobile apps, a cereal farmer, Moussa Sano said:

“Climate change can lead to problems like reduced yields. Climate change and the lack of rain have persisted but the mobile app has helped improve the situation. The rainy season in Senegal lasts about 3 months, usually from August to November. If we want to plant groundnuts, but we see delay in rain or a prediction of lack of rain, we can opt for a different variety that is less risky. That way, harvest is assured.”

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